Group Discussion Question- What feeling do you get (or intellectual response do you have) from reading Books 22 and 24?
Why does Homer end the poem when he does?
Shouldn't it end at the end of the war, including the final battle?
Homer also excludes the first ten years of the war, so clearly it is not his main concern.
Most of the story's major events and deaths have occurred by the end of Book 24.
Homer intends for the audience to miss the fall of Troy.
What happens after Homer ends the story?
The Greeks use the Trojan Horse to get inside of Troy and take the city
Greece wins, Troy falls
Achilles is killed (as fated) when he is shot with an arrow in the "Achilles Tendon" by Paris.
Many of the terms Homer coined (Trojan Horse, Achilles Tendon, etc.) are still used today, proving the prevalence of The Iliad in today's world.
Rules of War
Issue of the prizes of war- sparks the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon at the beginning.
Achilles grants Priam and the Trojans a twelve day armistice in order to properly mourn and bury Hector.
The Trojan Horse was (deceptively) an admission of the Trojan superiority over the Greeks. This is especially true because the Greeks built it out of their war ships.
When reading The Iliad, it is extremely important to keep in mind the time period it is from. When The Iliad is written, the audience knew how the war ended. Homer did not need to include that aspect of the war for his audience. By excluding the final battle and much of the fighting, Homer is telling of different story. He emphasizes the people and events behind the war, rather than the war itself. It is important to take the poem for what it is, rather than an anti-climactic war story.
Themes of The Iliad
Remember to focus on what it is, rather than what it is not.
In today's culture, dramatic endings are very important. In Homer's time, the story itself and it's message were more important than the ending.
The Iliad tells the audience how the war ends are the very beginning of the story, so the ending is not a cliffhanger.
Everyone loses something when the story is over, making it a tragedy.
Sort of a "Comedy of Errors" but not funny.
The fact that it does not end with a great victory, leaves the audience unbiased against the two sides. This way the audience can love, hate, and relate to both Greeks and Trojans simultaneously.
The story shows the brutality of war, not its glory.
The Iliad really is a story about human nature, not war. The ending gives no real resolution.
The final two books can be easily related to Romeo and Juliet. (competing households, only tragedy in the end, etc.)
The last two books leave the audience feeling sympathetic towards the Trojans, even though the bulk of the story follows the Greeks. The audience is left unresolved.
Achilles' harsh mistreatment of Hector's body is a great Greek offense, and yet he receives no punishment (from the gods or otherwise).
Achilles is a demigod, giving him an advantage in life. Hector is mortal and achieves greatness as a result of his own merit.
Hector was deceived by a god during his battle with Achilles, removing any chances he had at victory.
The Iliad profiles the multiple sides and natures of both Achilles and Hector.
The Iliad differs from most stories of war, in that it shows the pain and severity of death, rather than the glory of war victories.
No one is in a good place when the war ends- mortals and immortals.
In his death, Hector finally gains respect and adoration from his country.
There is no true victor of the war.
Achilles lets the audience down in his treatment of Hector. This proves there is no "right" protagonist for the reader to relate to.
The "pointlessness" of war is a major theme. The audience is supposed to be left feeling frustrated and unsatisfied at the story's end.
A lot of effort is put into getting Hector's body back from Achilles. Rituals play a LARGE role in both Greek and Trojan society, which is why everyone was so worried about the proper Hector's body. Even the gods intercede in retrieving the body. The god preserve Hector's corpse in perfect condition, with out even a scratch. Hermes escorts Priam to Achilles to speak to him about what will happen with Hector's remains. Priam is under the impression that Hermes is one of Achilles' men, not a god. Priam is so grateful for Hermes's help, he offers him a cup in appreciation, but Hermes declines. Achilles tells Priam that he knows Priam must have been escorted to him by a god, because no man would dare to do so without a god. (Example of Achilles' hubris) However, Priam was unaware that Hermes is a god. Priam has Hector's bravery; characterization of Hermes' and Priam's nobility) This act parallels to the end of the war. There is nothing left to do but collect the bodies; and accept the impending Trojan defeat.
The humans are just pawns of the gods. Gods have a lot of human nature and characteristics. This tells the reader that Greek societies created stories about the gods to make them more relatable. Each god had a specific purpose for different aspects of human lives. Gods are "super human" (super meaning above humans, but not different). In Greek society, gods do not have to be benevolent and good. Greeks see gods like they see life itself. Greek gods are chaotic and constantly in a power struggle. This is reflected in Greek stories of the gods.
Apollo was particularly reasonable in the text. When the gods come down to earth, they embody human form so that humans can handle their vast glory. They don't typically reveal their godliness (ex. Hermes) but they do give off superhuman vibes (auras).
Repetition is used in oral story telling in order to make connections and help the audience keep track of who is who. This is done in descriptions of the gods, and to reinforce messages from the gods to humans.
The Iliad has many didactic elements. It shows good and bad human traits and the many natures of humanity. All texts and stories serve the audience as surrogate life experiences. This is especially true of The Iliad.
Why does Homer end the poem when he does?
What happens after Homer ends the story?
Many of the terms Homer coined (Trojan Horse, Achilles Tendon, etc.) are still used today, proving the prevalence of The Iliad in today's world.
Rules of War
When reading The Iliad, it is extremely important to keep in mind the time period it is from. When The Iliad is written, the audience knew how the war ended. Homer did not need to include that aspect of the war for his audience. By excluding the final battle and much of the fighting, Homer is telling of different story. He emphasizes the people and events behind the war, rather than the war itself. It is important to take the poem for what it is, rather than an anti-climactic war story.
Themes of The Iliad
The last two books leave the audience feeling sympathetic towards the Trojans, even though the bulk of the story follows the Greeks. The audience is left unresolved.
A lot of effort is put into getting Hector's body back from Achilles. Rituals play a LARGE role in both Greek and Trojan society, which is why everyone was so worried about the proper Hector's body. Even the gods intercede in retrieving the body. The god preserve Hector's corpse in perfect condition, with out even a scratch. Hermes escorts Priam to Achilles to speak to him about what will happen with Hector's remains. Priam is under the impression that Hermes is one of Achilles' men, not a god. Priam is so grateful for Hermes's help, he offers him a cup in appreciation, but Hermes declines. Achilles tells Priam that he knows Priam must have been escorted to him by a god, because no man would dare to do so without a god. (Example of Achilles' hubris) However, Priam was unaware that Hermes is a god. Priam has Hector's bravery; characterization of Hermes' and Priam's nobility) This act parallels to the end of the war. There is nothing left to do but collect the bodies; and accept the impending Trojan defeat.
The humans are just pawns of the gods. Gods have a lot of human nature and characteristics. This tells the reader that Greek societies created stories about the gods to make them more relatable. Each god had a specific purpose for different aspects of human lives. Gods are "super human" (super meaning above humans, but not different). In Greek society, gods do not have to be benevolent and good. Greeks see gods like they see life itself. Greek gods are chaotic and constantly in a power struggle. This is reflected in Greek stories of the gods.
Apollo was particularly reasonable in the text. When the gods come down to earth, they embody human form so that humans can handle their vast glory. They don't typically reveal their godliness (ex. Hermes) but they do give off superhuman vibes (auras).
Repetition is used in oral story telling in order to make connections and help the audience keep track of who is who. This is done in descriptions of the gods, and to reinforce messages from the gods to humans.
The Iliad has many didactic elements. It shows good and bad human traits and the many natures of humanity. All texts and stories serve the audience as surrogate life experiences. This is especially true of The Iliad.
:)